Victor Boniface future at Bayer Leverkusen faces uncertainty after the club’s managing director, Simon Rolfes, disclosed that the Nigerian striker struggled to handle pressure in preseason ahead of the 2025/26 Bundesliga season.
The 24-year-old Super Eagles forward now faces a tough battle to secure his place in the squad, with Czech striker Patrik Schick and rising teenager Christian Kofane also competing for the central attacking role.
Rolfes explained that transfer rumors affected the Super Eagles star’s mindset during preseason. Speaking with Kicker, he stated: “Unfortunately, Boniface struggled with pressure at the beginning of preseason. The possibility of a move became an issue because he was not mentally resilient enough. He has improved, but the question remains whether we can provide him with the right chances to get back to his best.”
Boniface’s uncertainty deepened after his highly anticipated move to AC Milan collapsed. Although Milan initially agreed to a deal worth €5m on loan with a €24m option to buy, the transfer fell through after the Serie A club conducted four separate medicals and flagged concerns about his injury history.
The striker later admitted that his previous injuries played a decisive role. During a live session, Boniface confessed: “The move didn’t happen because of my past injuries. I tore my right knee ligaments twice, and it has always been there.”
Since joining Leverkusen from Union Saint-Gilloise for €20.5m in 2023, Boniface has faced constant setbacks. He missed key months across two campaigns with muscle issues, previously suffered two ACL tears, and even had a €60m transfer to Al Nassr collapse in January.
Still under contract until 2027, Boniface has now returned to training under new coach Erik ten Hag. Despite past disappointments, the Nigerian forward is determined to fight for his spot and prove his worth in Leverkusen’s attacking lineup.
